Our birds are so spoiled.  We had three cages connected for the birds to run on top of and play.  Jon suggested that we add a fourth cage so that Audrey could have some space.  The fourth cage is on the right in this picture.

Birds always want to be as high as possible.  So instead of increasing the space, now the birds all want to be on the single cage.

I did come to a good solution in the mornings, though.  The birds like to start chirping and singing at first light.  But if I pick them up and put them on the cage under the eave they will sleep for another two hours.  This is great during the weekends.

As an aside, I know you can make out “Infinite Jest” by David Foster Wallace on the shelf.  I’m not trying to plant that book to show you how awesome and well read I am.  I hate that book.  I spent close to a year trying to suffer through that book because I’m supposed to love it.  But that book is 1104 pages.  There are over 100 pages dedicated to freaking footnotes!  The book is on the shelf because I don’t care if the birds chew it.  At least someone would get some pleasure from that ridiculous book.*

*I know the author committed suicide a few years ago.  That doesn’t in any way detract from the fact that he wrote a self indulgent unfocused pile of trash.

Trevor is making huge strides in being a human-friendly bird.

It started with slow steps at night.  He would let me snuggle with him a little at night.  Then he became more willing to let me snuggle him during the day.  Then he enjoyed my presence in general.  Trevor especially enjoys sitting on a pillow behind me and singing.

Trevor started to mimic the kissy noise that Conner makes.  I was so excited!  Then the next step was to show him Conner’s trick.  You kiss Conner and pop back quickly.  As you pop back Conner will make the kissy noise and pop back too.  I showed Trevor how to perform this trip by putting him on my left finger and Conner on my right finger.  I did the trick with Conner and then kissed Trevor.  The very next day, Trevor did the trick.  Brilliant!

I’m so happy that he likes me.  Before I would try to pick him up and he’d run away from my hands.  It made my heart hurt.  So it’s much nicer to have him enjoy being touched.

Audrey understands acoustics.  He knows that if he yells from on top of his cage, he’s easy to ignore.  But when Audrey is on the floor and he yells from the top of the stairs, his screech carries.

Audrey will brook no dissent from the humans.

I appreciate Audrey’s skill.  I get frustrated with Conner’s endless whining about how I should always be in the same room with him.  He will send out alert calls when Jon gets off the bed!  But Audrey typically reserves his yells for legitimate complaints, even if those complaints are occasionally the lack of head scratches.

And unlike Trevor, who gets caught up in the excitement of cockatiel flapping and then becomes overwhelmed when he ends up on the floor, Audrey always knows what he’s doing.  If he’s on the floor, Audrey chose to be there.